Reports show that the NYT only had to do some minor checking and they would have known they were wrong. Instead, as with many stories they write, they rushed to press without proper verification. The NYT has steadily declined over the years and its outward hatred of conservatives, George Bush especially, has clouded any objectivity they might have had in the past.
Jason Blair fabricated stories, Maureen Dowd issued a correction, and now the NYT is forced to admit they made a boneheaded mistake. No wonder circulation is down.
Source 1: NYT
Source 2: My Way News